Sweets and Cute Things
by PotatoMasheesh
Summary: "What are you doing here, Mochi-chan?" He asked sleepily. "Naegi-kun, I believe you asked her that question already." Kirigiri replied as she stepped out of the bathroom, putting on her jacket as she did. (Birthday fic for Kyouko, a three-part fic. Read Multitasking first before this!)
1. Wednesday, October 5- Makoto's Side

_Wednesday, October 5- Makoto's Side_

Naegi jolted awake at the sound of a dog barking at him. A dog? He didn't own a dog… What was going on? The luckster rubbed his eyes and groaned as he saw the husky happily barking at him.

"What are you doing here, Mochi-chan?" He asked sleepily.

"Naegi-kun, I believe you asked her that question already." Kirigiri replied as she stepped out of the bathroom, putting on her jacket as she did.

"I did…. Didn't I? Huh… that was one weird dream.."

"..." Kyouko said nothing in reply as glanced at the mirror, looking at herself to see if everything was in place. Realization struck Naegi as he watched her.

"KIRIGIRI-SAN?!" He shouted and nearly fell off of the bed.

"Yes, Naegi-kun?" She asked as she strode towards her desk to get her bag. The luckster followed her movements with his eyes once more and noticed the bojobo dolls that were hanging above the desk.

Wait... so that _wasn't_ a dream, the luckster pondered. He gave her those dolls and Kirigiri had really kissed him. She _kissed_ him. It was just on the cheek, but _still!_ But wait, but he went back to his room, right? What was he doing here, and sleeping her bed as well… did he actually- His eyes went wide as he processed his thoughts. Kyouko picked up on this as she observed the luckster and replied.

"You fainted right after I agreed to go out with you on Thursday, so I let you stay here for the night, or morning, rather." Naegi could feel his face burning with embarrassment at what the detective told him.

"I'm sorry.. But, were you able to get any rest, Kirigiri-san? After all I was occupying the bed.." He said sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.

"Well," She paused for a moment before continuing. "I followed your suggestion and slept beside you." Naegi didn't think that it was possible for him to get any redder than he already was.

"Anyway," Kirigiri suddenly continued. "You'd better get dressed or you'll be late for class. Your uniform is over there along with your things." The detective gestured to the chair near her desk, which had Naegi's school uniform neatly folded in a pile.

The luckster's eyes widened. Was he… _naked_? What happened?! He immediately looked under the covers and checked. He was still indeed, fully clothed, wearing his work uniform. He sighed in relief but missed the amused look in Kyouko's eyes when he freaked out. After that, Kirigiri walked towards the door, ready to leave until Naegi had spoken up all of a sudden.

"You aren't in your uniform, Kirigiri-san." The luckster noted.

"I'm not going to attend classes today, Naegi-kun." She replied neutrally, as if skipping classes wasn't anything of concern.

"Why not?" Naegi tilted his head as he asked, concern evident in his tone.

"I have more important matters to attend to." She answered back and left the room, leaving the luckster rather curious and concerned. _What was so important that she had to skip school? Was she working on a case?_ Before he could ponder more on what the detective had said, Mochi-chan barked at him.

"Right, I'm going to be late! Thanks, Mochi-chan!" Naegi said before rushing to get his school uniform. He would have to thank Kirigiri-san later for preparing his things… _Wait._

"Kirigiri-san went in my room!?" The luckster panicked. That place was an absolute mess! The husky barked at him again, which snapped him out of his thoughts once more.

"Right, sorry!" He replied to the dog whilst feeling somewhat stupid for doing so. But hey, Mochi-chan was a smart dog, much like her owner who had probably trained her to be this perceptive. Naegi, after that brief thought, quickly changed his clothes and stuffed his work uniform that he had worn the night before into his backpack. Adjacent to his backpack was the paper bag that contained the luckster's birthday gift for the detective. He felt relieved at seeing the paper bag intact and in a sealed state. He was pretty sure he dropped it that night… morning. Well if it did fall and remained sealed, it must be because of his good luck. With that last thought in mind, he grabbed his things and dashed out of the room.

* * *

Naegi was panting as he rushed into the classroom, but he arrived just right on time. Relieved by this, he plopped onto his seat tiredly.

"Ha, ha, ha! Good to see you making an effort to arrive at the designated time for class, Naegi-kun!" A loud and authoritative voice boomed.

"Yeah… I was almost late, wasn't I?" The luckster looked at Ishimaru with tired eyes as he replied.

"Indeed you were! If you arrived here a minute later, I would have to tell the teacher to mark you late! Speaking of which, I will have to call for our teacher. As the instructor of the class, it is mandatory for him to be on time as well. He must be a good example to his students after all! Now, if you'll excuse me, I will have to go look for our teacher and remind him of his duties." The Super High School Level Hall Monitor said loudly as he left the room. Naegi waved goodbye and then rested his head on his desk. He might've heard Togami say something, an insult directed at the Hall Monitor maybe, but he ignored it. He was too tired to care at this point.

"Woke up late again, Makoto-kun?" A melodic voice suddenly asked. He raised his head to see that Maizono was right in front of him, sitting on Kyouko's seat as she asked. The luckster silently missed the detective's presence when he noticed that Maizono was using her seat.

"Yeah… something like that." He said sheepishly as he scratched his head.

"Hey, can I ask-" As the idol was talking, their homeroom teacher, accompanied by Ishimaru, entered the room. Quickly mouthing a goodbye, Maizono then returned to her original seat. The luckster wondered what she was about to say since she looked quite curious before their teacher arrived.

* * *

Naegi had dozed off during class once again and the idol's unasked question was forgotten by the luckster as he left the classroom almost robotically. It had become a habit for him to not stay there for long because the classroom just emanated this feeling of stress and tiredness to him. Naegi was originally supposed to just go back to the dorms since he didn't have a shift after classes today, but he found himself in front of the maid cafe he worked at. He brought himself to the cafe without realizing it… It was too far and tiring to go back to the dorms now, Naegi thought. Perhaps Ikki-san could help him and give him some advice on what to do on Kirigiri-san's birthday... After all, he was known to be a ladies' man.

As the luckster entered the cafe, he saw one of his schoolmates seated at a table near the window, busy playing games on whatever handheld device that was. Naegi had never seen anything like it before, but it didn't matter. He approached her, curious as to why she was alone.

"Hey Nanami-senpai, what are you doing here all alone?"

"Just waiting for Hinata-kun. He said he'd play some games with me today." The gamer said as she continued to play.

"Ah, I see." The luckster replied casually and asked if he can stay with her for the time being. She simply nodded and he settled down on the seat in front of her. The luckster didn't know who this Hinata guy was, but Nanami-senpai has been doing this same thing for _days._ The luckster knows because he had been the gamer's server quite a few times last week. This guy had never even showed up on any of the days she was there! It was frustrating and heartbreaking to see Nanami do this every single day.

"You seem bothered, Naegi-kun.. Is something the matter?" Chiaki asks while she presses buttons at a rapid speed. Naegi silently wonders how she was able to sense how he felt when she seemed so concentrated on her game.

"Well, you see—" Before the luckster could finish his sentence, someone had approached the two of them.

"Welcome, my masters. What would you like to have today?" A courteous voice inquired. Naegi looked to his left to see Ikki. Chiaki didn't bother looking up at him as she ordered.

"A maiden's handmade parfait and water please." Naegi's eyes had slightly widened at that. That was their most expensive dessert on the menu.

"Would you like to request a specific server to-" The gamer interrupted the waiter as he inquired.

"I'd like Mine-san to, if she's here." The luckster tilted his head and wondered why she wanted Mine-san of all people to do just that. Some of their other customers would kill just to be served by Ikki-san himself.

"Of course, my master. Anything else?" He asked the two of them in general, but it was evident that it was directed more towards the gamer who was busy tapping away, fully concentrated on her game. She completely missed the look of concern directed towards her.

"No, thank you. But Naegi-kun might want something… I think." Nanami remarked.

"Well um, Ikki-san, can I talk to you later during your break?" Naegi asked suddenly.

"Of course, my master. If that is all, I shall be taking my leave. Please enjoy your stay." The silver haired butler then bowed then left the two of them. The gamer, after a short while, had set down her device and looked at Naegi who looked rather lost in his own sea of thoughts.

"If you needed Ikki-san's advice, it must mean that you're having problems with a girl… probably." Chiaki stated and Naegi is quite shocked at her deduction. He actually wanted to talk her out of waiting for Hinata first but the gamer had picked up on something else that was on his mind.

"Yeah, but-"

"Who is she?" She asked as she leaned forward, obviously curious as to who the luckster was infatuated with.

"It's..uh, Kirigiri-san.." The luckster replies with a prominent blush on his face as he looked away from Nanami.

"Oh, was it that girl from yesterday with lavender hair? She's really pretty, but not as pretty as me of course." A voice had suddenly said. Naegi immediately looked for the source of the voice and blushed even more when he discovered who had overheard them. The luckster covered his face with both of his hands. Naegi's phone had suddenly vibrated from his pocket.

 _Sayaka Maizono: I almost forgot to ask you but kirigiri-san's birthday is tomorrow, right?_

The luckster read the message and quickly replied to it.

 _Makoto Naegi: Yup! :)_

 _Sayaka Maizono: Thanks, Naegi-kun! good luck with your date tomorrow! just be yourself. :)_

Naegi's eyes widened at that. But before he could even type out a reply, Maizono had sent him another message.

 _Sayaka Maizono: I know bc im an esper :)_

 _Sayaka Maizono: just kidding. Junko-chan told me haha. she also said that you guys should really just keep it down bc she couldnt sleep last night_

Naegi wanted to die of embarrassment right there and then.

 _Makoto Naegi: ITS NOT LIKE THAT I SWEAR_

 _Sayaka Maizono: of course it isnt :) have fun tomorrow and tell me alllllll about it!_

 _Sayaka Maizono: anyway gtg ttyl :)_

The luckster sighed in exasperation as he looked up from his phone. Mine-san was currently making Nanami-senpai's dessert in front of her (as this was supposed to be done when a customer orders for the maiden's handmade parfait) while idly chatting. When the pair noticed that he was back, they started talking about his crush once more. Although Naegi felt embarrassed more than half of the time, their advice was quite helpful, even though Nanami-senpai had mentioned that her advice might not help as much because was terrible at dating sims or anything of the sort. Ikki-san also briefly gave him some helpful tips during his break, but he wasn't sure he had the confidence to even be able to do any of the things he suggested. The luckster wasn't even able to clarify some of the things the silver-haired man had told him because girls had swamped him when they noticed that he wasn't on duty. (Waka-san, their manager, had disallowed Ikki's fans to interact with him while he was working unless he was serving them since they had a tendency to be very, _very_ disruptive in the cafe whenever they'd see him.)

It was late in the afternoon when Naegi decided to leave the cafe. Mine-san's shift had ended a while ago and Chiaki was still concentrated on her game, which Naegi discovered was actually a dating sim that she couldn't finish. The gamer corrected him and said that it was a visual novel and _not_ a dating sim, but she seemed to have a hard time completing it either way. After all, she had somehow obtained four bad endings within the span of ten minutes.

"I'm gonna go now, Nanami-senpai. Thanks for the advice!" The luckster said happily as he got out of his seat.

"You're welcome, Naegi-kun." She said while briefly looking at Naegi, then quickly shifting her gaze to the screen. Naegi then walked towards the exit of the cafe. As he did, however, he had bumped into someone.

"Sorry!" The luckster quickly said and got out of the way before the person was able to say anything in reply.

"Another bad ending!? Awww, doesn't Ukyo have at least one happy ending?" Chiaki had suddenly said out loud to no one in particular due to her frustration. Ikki had passed by the gamer and spoke.

"His route has seven bad endings, my master." Chiaki huffed and then pouted in annoyance.

"I know!"

"Nanami…?" The person just entered approached Nanami as he heard her voice. The gamer's eyes widened.

"Hinata-kun!"

* * *

AN: A THREE PART BIRTHDAY FIC FOR OUR BEST GIRL KYOUKOOO (three part just because i had way too much ideas lmao) (im so sorry its late & written poorly/rushed(its around 12 am of oct 7 in my timezone)) anyway I recommend you guys read my other fic called 'Multitasking' first because it continues from there and you'd be quite lost if you read this without reading the previous fic first. Also, If you guys enjoyed the first, I hope you guys enjoy this one as much too. :)

OH OH OH and if you guys can guess (which someone actually did (you know who you are :) ) (I cross post on AO3 and ff . net, but I'm usually more responsive on the former site.) the visual novel/game ive been referencing from multitasking from here i'd be really amused haha


	2. Thursday, October 6- Kyouko's Side

_Thursday, October 6- Kyouko's Side_

After finally finishing the rather tedious murder case that turned out to be a suicide yesterday, Kyouko felt relieved to know that they didn't have to find a culprit. While she did feel bad for the family that was affected, she was also too exhausted dealing with so much cases. Luckily for her, that was the last case she needed to complete before her boss allowed her to take a break for a while. She was finally able to get a full eight hours of sleep last night because of it. To the detective, it felt unbelievably refreshing to be able to sleep for that long once again.

For the first time in a while, Kirigiri was able to wake up early and not feel tired. She watched the birds fluttering from her window as she drank her favorite coffee brew. She smiled and hummed in contentment. Today seemed like a particularly good day for the detective. Kyouko then approached her dog, bent down and then hugged her. She hoped that the rest of the day would be this relaxing. As she ruffled Mochi-chan's fur, she remembered how much she adored things that were sweet and cute. The detective knew that most would be surprised that she actually liked those kinds of things, but that was because others tended to forget that she too was human, and that she had emotions like everybody else, she just knew how to hide it better.

Only a few people would take the time and effort to get to know her better because most had given up on her for she was too distant and cold. She couldn't blame them, though. She knew it was difficult to befriend her, and she herself had a hard time opening up to others. Kirigiri didn't know how Naegi did it really, he's such an open book, and he leaves himself so vulnerable to everyone... She could easily read his thoughts and yet there were times where he still managed to surprise her..

She squeezed the husky that she was hugging to get those musings out of her head. Just thinking about Naegi-kun had left her very, very flustered. Even though she was alone, she felt very embarrassed just thinking about him and what she had done the other day. She was so close to actually fainting herself after she had done _that_. She had no idea what had gotten into her when her oh-so-rational brain decided to kiss the luckster's cheek. Well, at least she was able to confirm that he liked her back… What she did was done in order to seek the truth. Yup, that's exactly what she must've been thinking when she kissed him that time..

 _Oh God, he liked me back-_

The detective quickly stood up, face beet red and decided that she should just prepare for school already.

* * *

Kyouko arrived on time. She wasn't exactly early nor was she late, but the detective found it rather suspicious that no one was in the classroom with her yet. Kirigiri walked around the empty classroom cautiously, she felt that something wasn't right. Just as she was about to go out of the classroom and check if their room assignment had changed for the day or if everyone had deliberately decided to skip classes for that day, the classroom doors clicked shut, locking her in. She cursed under her breath, hating herself for being too slow to realize that this could've happened. The lights had suddenly turned off shortly after the doors were locked. The detective sharpened her senses and readied herself for what was to come next. She would not let herself get caught off guard.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIRIGIRI-SAN!" A myriad of voices shouted as the lights were suddenly switched back on. Kirigiri was then surrounded by her classmates as they started singing the traditional birthday song. Not everyone sung along as eagerly as the others, but Kyouko appreciated it nonetheless.

Shortly after the class's greeting, Asahina and Maizono had left the room briefly, only to return with a rather large cake. They had placed the layered cake on Kirigiri's desk. The rest of her classmates had then begun stacking their various presents on said desk, each person greeting her before they placed their gift. The detective wasn't very surprised that they discovered when her birthday was since she knew Naegi probably told them, but she was however, surprised at the fact that all of them greeted and gave her a present. She thanked all of them but she silently wondered where the luckster had gone.

"I wouldn't worry about Naegi-kun, if I were you. Just relax and enjoy your special day, Kirigiri-san" The idol had suddenly said.

"I wouldn't call this day special," She replied bluntly, ignoring her earlier comment and continued. "Today is simply just a reminder of when I was born… But I appreciate everyone's efforts, although it wasn't necessary for all of you to do this."

Before Togami could even comment on the detective's statement, Enoshima had stomped on his foot, making the heir curse rather loudly.

"Don't worry about it Kyouko-chan!" The model grinned. "But today _will_ be a special day, just you wait!" Kirigiri raised her brow at that, suspicious of what the model was trying to hint at, but wasn't able to reply because the morning bell had rung.

Kyouko then realized that had a new problem; how on earth was she going to sit and listen to the discussion when a large cake and multiple gifts were stacked on her desk? Even if the detective tried to move the things away, there wouldn't be enough space to move them anywhere else. Also, the gifts were stacked as if someone decided to play Tetris on her desk, moving them from their original position would just cause them to collapse. From the corner of her eye, she could see Enoshima looking at her with a shit-eating grin on her face. Kyouko decided to ignore the model, and then proceeded to take her seat as she carefully adjusted the gifts so that there would at least be a gap where she could see through.

When the teacher entered the room, he stared at the desk stacked with gifts, sighed as he saw the detective peeking from behind it, massaged his temples when he saw Junko grinning while holding up a peace sign with her fingers, and then started the lesson as usual.

* * *

Kyouko estimated that she had to make two trips back from the classroom to her dorm just to move the gifts and cake she received to her dorm room. While some of her classmates offered to help, she politely declined them as she was still quite suspicious, especially with the way Enoshima and Maizono were acting.

On the detective's second trip back to her room, she had successfully moved all of her gifts and felt quite exhausted. Before she could even lie down on her bed to rest for a while, someone knocked on her door. She strode towards her door and opened it slightly to meet the person on the other side.

"Celes, did you need something?" She asked as she saw the lolita.

"No, however, I wanted to give you this." The gambler handed her an envelope and smiled, although the detective could tell it wasn't a genuine one. Quirking a brow upward, Kirigiri looked at Celes.

"Consider it another… gift from the class." She said rather slowly, enunciating every syllable. She giggled softly after and was about to leave the detective until she had spoken up.

"One last thing," Kyouko said, prompting the gambler to turn around. "Have you seen Naegi-kun?" She asked. The detective knew it was quite sudden to ask Celes of all people, but she was growing rather concerned for the luckster. She hadn't seen the boy all day.

"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't… But that isn't important. I'm sure someone like you would be able to find him even without my assistance. After all, you are the Super High School Level Detective for a reason."  
"Celes-" Before Kyouko could even say much, the gambler interrupted her.

"Now then, I have other things to attend to. Time is of the essence... Farewell, Kirigiri-san." Celes said and abruptly left Kirigiri to her own devices. The detective sighed in frustration as she looked at the envelope that the gambler had given her moments ago.

The envelope smelled quite sweet, Kirigiri noted as she headed back into her room and opened it. Inside contained a small piece of paper that had the same scent the envelope had but stronger and a bunch of playing cards. The cards were an ace, six, nine, and jack of hearts. Upon observation, the detective also noted that there was a joker card that was stuck to the envelope itself.

She studied all of the clues presented to her. As she was concentrating, her dog, Mochi-chan had approached the detective, sniffing at the scented paper and nearly eating it in the process of doing so. Kyouko had stopped her before she could, however and reprimanded her dog accordingly. She went back to concentrating on what the series of cards could mean. The detective had read on this in the past. As she pondered, she recalled that the suit of hearts was usually linked to love… Was this a love confession of some sort?

The detective highly doubted that was the case as she observed the numbers of the cards again. A six of hearts meant good luck, or someone helping out while a nine of hearts usually symbolized a wish or a dream coming true. There was also a jack of hearts, which usually symbolized a close friend that was good natured, indicating that whatever this is might not come directly from Celes, since the lolita knew that she was definitely not good natured and prided herself for being the "Queen of Liars." Perhaps she was only a mediator? In addition, Kyouko deduced that if the gambler were ever to be in a relationship with anyone, she would prefer to be a queen..

The detective thought about the contents of the envelope again. Maybe there were more clues found in her presents? After all, everyone seemed to have planned surprising her and the way the gifts were placed on her desk seemed deliberate. The way some of her classmates looked at her seemed quite suspicious as well. The detective approached the pile of presents that she had stacked in the corner of the room and began to unwrap each one.

As Kyouko was unwrapping each gift, Mochi-chan had grew impatient. Kirigiri knew that her dog was sitting down near her just because the birthday cake was behind the detective. While the husky was making an adorable face, begging for even just a bite of the pastry, Kyouko knew that letting her dog eat the cake was dangerous.

"No." Kirigiri said sternly to the husky. It whimpered in reply as it snuggled closer to the detective. Speaking of the cake, she hadn't examined that yet… She turned her gaze towards the pastry and noticed its intricate designs. Besides the birthday greeting and her name that was elegantly written on the topmost part of the layered cake, various flower patterns could be seen etched on the dessert, it almost looked like it resembled a flower garden of some sort. When Kyouko inched closer to the cake, she also noticed a small symbol of a spade near the bottom of the pastry. Speaking of which, the detective remembered that the maid cafe that Celes and Maizono had invited her to used a lot of those types of symbols. The symbols were on the walls, furniture and even on the uniforms of the waiters. In fact, the cake did look like it could have been ordered from that same cafe…

Based on Kirigiri's observation of the place, each server had their own personal symbol that they decorate onto the meals they serve. The detective recalled that the design Naegi placed on her cheesecake was a four-leaf clover. Perhaps she could look for whoever used a spade symbol in the cafe.. With that thought in mind, Kyouko sorted the other opened gifts, finding only one of them somewhat relevant to the current situation. (The most irrelevant and headache-inducing one being the hand bra that was from Enoshima with a note that said _"hope I got you the right size! Have fun! ;)_ " ) She then picked up the pocket watch with a diamond symbol engraved on its cover. The watch was from Ishimaru, with a written note that reminded her to always be punctual, especially now that she had a watch with her. On the other side of the paper read _"5:30!"_

Kirigiri checked the pocket watch. The current time was 4:00. If 5:30 was the deadline, like what the gambler seemed to have suggested before she left, then the detective had ample time to find out what was going on. Kyouko then prepared to leave and head off to the maid cafe, taking Mochi-chan with her. The detective didn't want to risk leaving her dog with a cake.

* * *

Before Kirigiri could enter the cafe, she knew that she wouldn't be able to take her dog with her. As much as the detective could simply just command her dog to stay, she did not want to risk losing Mochi-chan again. She held her chin, thinking of a way that she could-

"FUCK! NOT YOU AGAIN, ERGH! GET OFF OF ME!" A loud voice shouted, interrupting her train of thought. Kyouko looked for the source of the voice, and when she did, lilac irises widened out of shock. She didn't even notice that Mochi-chan had left her side. She briskly walked towards the man that her dog had tackled, but before she could get there, another person had stopped the chaos ahead of her.

"Mochi-chan, would you like a sugar cookie?" Pekoyama, the woman who had stopped the dog from assaulting the man, asked the dog as she bent down, ready to give the husky a treat. On the other hand, Kuzuryuu, the man who was tackled by Mochi-chan just moments ago, was straightening his suit as he stood up.

"While I'm sure she would, I'm afraid that it's unhealthy for her to be consuming that. Also, I apologize for Mochi-chan's lack of discipline once again. A puppy in training does tend to lose focus as soon as it picks up a scent that interests them. " The detective said smoothly as the pair looked at her in shock, not expecting her presence.

"I also apologize; I wasn't aware that this wasn't good for your dog..." Pekoyama said rather timidly. Kuzuryuu, however, shot a glare at the detective.

"Do you not know the concept of leashes? Or do I have to fucking explain that to you!?" The yakuza yelled angrily at the detective while he walked into her personal space. Mochi-chan did not take the yakuza's aggression well however and yanked the boy's pants, nearly ripping it apart.

"SHIT!" Kuzuryuu shouted once more, nearly falling to the ground as the dog continuously pulled on his clothing.

"Mochi-chan, stop." Kirigiri commanded, although not as sternly as she usually would. She silently wanted the husky to continue as the yakuza was quite irritating. The dog quickly followed, however, and shuffled back to her side. Kuzuryuu huffed in annoyance as Pekoyama had suddenly spoken up, seemingly ignoring how much of a mess the yakuza was.

"Anyway, Kirigiri-san.. Were you, by any chance, going to enter the cafe? I noticed that you were headed there just a moment ago... Would you like me to watch over your dog while you finish your business there?" The swordswoman inquired. The detective silently mulled over the thought of Pekoyama watching over her dog. While she seemed to have a soft spot for the husky, just like herself, she wasn't sure she could trust the other person with them.

"Yes, I was," Kyouko answered. "And while the offer is quite tempting, I believe that I cannot just entrust my dog to you because-" Kirigiri was cut off by the swordswoman. Pekoyama had a look of determination in her eyes as her crimson irises met lilac ones.

"I won't let Kuzuryuu-san touch a single strand of fur on Mochi-chan."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean!?" The yakuza said angrily. _Did Peko just replace me for a fucking dog!?_ _Are you fucking serious right now?!_ Kuzuryuu thought as he looked at the swordswoman in disbelief. Kirigiri breathed in and looked at the husky, who looked ready to spring into action at her command.

"Mochi-chan, stay here and don't leave." She said sternly and then averted her gaze to look at the swordswoman. "Thank you for your kindness, Pekoyama-san.. I do believe I owe you a few favors." The detective said as she turned around and walked, leaving the pair with the husky.

"Goddammit!"

* * *

As soon as Kyouko arrived inside the cafe, she was greeted by a server, as per usual, but she didn't recognize this waiter from the last time that she was here. The raven-haired boy ushered her to a seat, although the table was occupied by someone else. Kirigiri soon recognized the girl who sat across her as the Super High School Level Gamer. The girl was busy playing on her handheld device, but managed to speak up.

"You must be Kirigiri-san, I think…" She said without looking up. Although the gamer look concentrated, the detective noted that she looked tired as well.

"Yes, that would be me. And you are Chiaki Nanami, the Super High School Level Gamer, correct?" Kyouko inquired and Nanami responded with a nod.

"Would you happen to know-" The detective was cut off by the gamer.

"If you're looking for Naegi-kun, you can ask Ikki-san… Probably." Nanami said suddenly and yawned. Upon realizing her mistake, the gamer's eyes widened as one hand covered her mouth, stopping her from playing. After her initial shock had subsided, Nanami, with cheeks slightly pink due to embarrassment, slightly giggled at her own mistake.

"I was supposed to let you play a game with me first before I tell you, but um… It's okay, I think…" The gamer said. Kyouko honestly found her rather endearing.

"Anyway," Nanami continued. "Ikki-san should be here any moment to give you the next clue."


	3. Thurs, Oct 6- Two is Better Than One

October 6, Thursday- Two is Better Than One

Although Ikki's clue was somewhat vague, one thing was for sure: her suspicions were confirmed. The whole class, and even people outside of it set up this mystery just for her to find Naegi-kun. In fact, there was a large chance that the luckster was the one who proposed the idea. Naegi was the only one who could get the class to do things together…. Enoshima could do that too, however, but in a more violent and forceful manner. The detective sighed as she had come to that conclusion. It was 5:00 and all she had to do now was to find Naegi.

Kirigiri recalled the butler's words. _"They say that the cake is a lie, but it actually is the truth in this case… Also, follow your heart. I hope you have a good day, Miss Kirigiri."_ Kyouko analyzed what Ikki-san had told her. If that was the case, then the design of the cake was, in fact, relevant. She remembered that the pastry resembled a flower garden, and the only place nearby that looked remotely close to the cake's design was the park. The detective mulled over her thoughts once more in an attempt to make sure that she didn't miss any other possibilities besides the said location. To save time, Kyouko pondered as she walked while her dog followed closely.

* * *

It took Kirigiri ten minutes to walk from the cafe to the park, and immediately after she arrived, Mochi-chan had found something rather interesting. A card was on the ground as the husky sniffed it out of curiosity. Picking it up, the detective noted that it was no longer a playing card, but a flashcard. It had a simple multiplication problem, asking for the result when one was multiplied to itself. However, below the equation, there was something written below it. Although the handwriting was messy, Kyouko was able to read the message after scrutinizing it. It said: _"Hide and seek! Don't forget to count to ten! Donut skip!"_

When Kirigiri had kept the card in her pocket, Mochi-chan had somehow found another flash card. The dog was wagging its tail while sitting down, the said card in its mouth. She smiled at the husky and ruffled the fur on top of its head as she took the card. The equation _"1 x 2 = ?"_ was written on the card. Kyouko supposed that, that was how she was supposed to 'count.'

While that seemed simple enough, what the detective wondered was how her dog managed to find the cards so quickly. Scrutinizing the newly found card, Kirigiri decided to bring it up closer to her nose. She noted that besides the scent of her dog, it also smelled quite similar to the fragrance from the scented paper that the husky almost ate earlier that day. The detective looked at her dog, who remained happily seated, and then bent down to meet the dog eye to eye.

"Good girl, Mochi-chan," Kirigiri praised Mochi-chan, to which she responded happily to. "Now, try to find more of them." Kyouko said as she held up the two flashcards that the dog had recently found in front of her. After that, the detective stood up, and started walking around the park, searching for clues. Mochi-chan did the same.

* * *

As the detective progressed, she noticed that the flashcards were making her follow a path. From a distance, Kyouko saw the path go uphill. It actually looked very similar to the cake from where she was standing. She could just go there immediately without having to find the last two flashcards… After all, it was quite tedious. There were some flashcards with equations that didn't result to the next number she needed. It seemed that only the cards with the same fragrance were of importance. The relevant flashcards that the detective held had the equations: 1 x 1, 1 x 2, 1 x 3, 2 x 2, 15/3, 3 x 2 and 14/2. The set of cards resulted to the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 respectively. She only needed three more, but Kyouko was pressed for time. It was 5:20. While the detective was unsure on what would happen if she were to be 'late,' but she would rather just follow the instructions…

Though the directions on the first flashcard said not to skip, Kirigiri already knew where it was most likely headed towards. She supposed that she could disobey this one instruction in favor of the other. The detective couldn't foresee anyone giving her a 'punishment' for not following the directions anyway. With that in mind, she had commanded Mochi-chan to keep searching for the cards as she approached the path that spiraled around the small hill. Just as she was about to reach the top of the hill, a voice called out from behind her.

"Kirigiri-san! There you are!" Kyouko quickly turned around to see Naegi approaching her, waving as he did. She also started walking towards the boy, hearing the familiar sound of grass crunching beneath her feet, although in the middle of her walking, she suddenly doesn't hear the sound of the grass crunching or the feel of the ground beneath her feet. The detective suddenly realized that she was falling and her vision was pitch black.

She was falling, and she couldn't see a thing.

* * *

Kirigiri jolted awake, eyes reflexively widening as she did. The detective quickly surveyed her surroundings. She was still in the park, based on the greenery around her, but this area of the park wasn't familiar to her. After all, she never had the time to stroll and explore the place. What bothered Kyouko the most, however, was the fact that she knew that she had fallen through some sort of hole, but she didn't feel injured or hurt at all… Although, she did notice that her left hand felt quite warm this whole time. Turning her head to the left, the detective then realized why it felt so warm.

For some unknown reason, Naegi was lying down unconscious on the ground with his right hand holding her gloved one. Their fingers were intertwined. Kirigiri's face reddened as she stared at their hands. Hundreds of questions popped up in Kyouko's head all at once, messing up all of her thoughts.

 _What when where how why how wha—_

"K-K-Kirigiri-s-saan!" Naegi had suddenly woken up from his sleep. Kyouko's eyes widened slightly out of shock. Both of them were mere inches away from each other, frozen, and their faces were dusted with crimson hues.

The two had only come to their senses when a series loud beeping sounds were heard. Naegi and Kirigiri had let go of each other's hands, and the luckster then looked at his wristwatch that Togami had suddenly given him earlier that day. All the heir said was to wear it and left the luckster puzzled. Naegi then moved his left hand to turn the alarm off. The detective scooted closer to the him, checking the time from his watch. The time on the watch was 5:30.

"Naegi-kun, what is the meaning of this?" She asked as she turned her head to face him.

"I'm not very sure, Kirigiri-san.." Naegi said honestly, looking slightly dejected. "Enoshima-san told me she and the class had a plan or something for you birthday, but they didn't tell me much about it…But, I'm sure that we'll find out eventually, I mean Togami-kun and Maizono-san gave me some clues a while ago… Though, I don't really get them.."

"So you weren't the one behind this.." The detective vocalized her thoughts, although she didn't fully believe what she had just said. She crossed her arms as the pondered. After a while, Kyouko spoke up once more. "Anyway, can I see the clues you've received?" She inquired.

"Sure! Here they are." Naegi said happily and handed her an envelope that looked similar to what she had received from Celes.

The inside of the envelope contained playing cards, a note, and a small key. The cards Naegi had nearly completed the suit of hearts. He had the two, three, four, five, seven, eight and ten of hearts. If she combined the cards with hers, the only two cards missing from the suit would be the king and queen.. Other than that, the small note said: _"This isn't really a clue, but sorry for not letting you in on this, Naegi-kun! The 'plan' we gave you earlier was fake. Sorry!"_ The handwriting was quite girly and was written with pink ink and based on what Naegi had said earlier, the detective deduced that it was Maizono's handwriting. The last item that the detective examined was a small and flat key with diamond designs engraved onto it.

Naegi watched in awe as the detective scrutinized all of the items. Kyouko didn't even have to try; she was effortlessly beautiful and the luckster was entranced. She was intelligent, beautiful, and just perfect… The luckster couldn't fathom how she would ever be interested in him, but she was, if the kiss wasn't enough evidence of that… Or she could have been teasing him, but Naegi knew that she wasn't one to fool around or play games. Well she could be playful at times, and the luckster felt honored to see her in such a carefree state, but she also knew the importance and weight that emotions had.

"Naegi-kun," Kyouko said, knocking him back to his senses. The luckster shook his head slightly and responded.

"What is it, Kirigiri-san?" He asked, curious as to what she would say.

"Besides receiving items from Maizono-san and Togami-kun, did anyone give you any more clues?" The detective inquired as her right hand held her chin, piecing together the clues that they currently had.

"Well, Hinata-senpai told me to go where the flowers grow and to follow my heart… and that's about it." Naegi said as he scratched his head meekly. Kyouko noted that the message was somewhat similar to what Ikki-san had told her earlier that day. While she understood the first parts of both hints that were given to them, the latter part of the hints were quite puzzling. Perhaps _'follow your heart'_ had something to do with the playing cards they held. The detective decided to keep asking the luckster until she had enough information to understand the situation.

"Where and when did he tell you this?"

"I was looking for you in the dorms a while ago and um, Hinata-senpai was just near your door… It was around 5 o'clock when I saw him, I think." He answered.

"I see.." Kirigiri said and thought for a moment before asking another question. "Where were you earlier today? You didn't attend class."

"Well, um… I had important things to do.." The luckster said as he scratched his head. The detective simply nodded, the action slightly surprising Naegi. He was pretty sure that she would try to get more information out of him, but she didn't.

The pair then decided to try to look for more hints that could lead them to whatever the goal of this little game was. When Kirigiri turned around, Naegi noticed that there was a paper attached to the detective's back.

"Wait, Kirigiri-san! There's something on your back." Naegi said as he pulled the paper from her jacket.

"There… There's something written on it." The luckster said as Kyouko turned to face Naegi. She stepped closer towards him as they both read what was written on the note. It said:

" _I said DONUT SKIP! See what happens when you do? You fell right through a donut hole, that's what happened. Anyway, welcome to wonderland! The Cheshire cat might be willing to help you out._

 _P.S.: You can't get out unless you finish the mystery!_

 _P.P.S.: You really can't, don't you dare try anything, Kirigiri-san!_

 _P.P.P.S.: Okay maybe you can, but pleeaase just play along for once! It's gonna be worth it we promise!"_

Before Naegi could even ask, Kirigiri spoke.

"I was supposed to find ten flashcards to find you, however, the 'time limit' I had was almost up so I skipped some numbers despite the note saying otherwise since the answer was already obvious…" The detective showed the pocket watch she had, the note that came with it and the flashcards. She then continued. "Although, I believe that the time limit was most likely a red herring in order to throw me off."

"I see. Well, either way, you found me and that's pretty amazing Kirigiri-san!" He said and beamed at the detective.

"Thank you…" She said rather softly, but quickly shifted her tone to a more serious one. "Anyway, Naegi-kun, would you happen to know where we are right now? If you did then we can just find the nearest exit from here."

"I have no idea either... But, uh, it still sort of looks like we're in the park so that's a start! And, I guess the best way out of here is if we just play along. I mean, we just have to find a cat. I don't think it'll be that hard, especially with you around, Kirigiri-san!" He said enthusiastically. Kyouko's facial features hinted that she was smiling ever so slightly at the compliment given to her. Lavender irises shifted her gaze from the luckster to the tree that had suddenly rustled behind him. A rather large figure was resting on one of the tree's branches.

"...I think that's the cat we're looking for." The detective said simply. Naegi turned around and walked closer towards the tree as he looked up.

"Hey, that's Celes' cat!" Naegi said happily after recognizing the ebony feline. Not long after, his mood dropped slightly after realizing that this was _Celes' cat._ Grand Bois Cheri was just like her...  
"Riight…" Naegi said softly as he turned around to face Kirigiri once more. The detective was tinkering with her pocket watch and the small key he had received from Maizono earlier that day.

The pocket watch made a clicking sound as a little compartment had opened. The luckster's eyes widened in surprise as Kyouko took the contents from the inside of the compartment. In the palm of Kirigiri's hand were two gold coins and a fortune cookie. The detective placed the two coins in her jacket pocket and then she broke the fortune cookie, opening it to see its contents. The luckster scooted closer towards her to see what was written on the paper that had come from inside of the fortune cookie.

" _Up, left, right, down."_

Naegi was confused. What did this have to do with anything? It just reminded him of those cheat codes in some of those video games. Kyouko, on the other hand, took her pen out of her pocket and approached the tree where Grand Bois Cheri rested. She pressed a button on the pen, which activated its flashlight function. The detective shone the light on the wood of the tree. The luckster noted that the tree had the word "UP" carved onto it. When did she notice that? Naegi mused.

"Maybe we should follow the directions and see where it goes?" Naegi suggested. Kirigiri nodded in affirmation and the two started to walk past the said tree. The detective continued to hold up the pen.

Shortly after, the pair had found a tree that had the letter "L" engraved on the tree. They then turned left and followed the remaining directions, which led them to a large, hot pink vending machine that stood out like a stick in the mud. Approaching it, the detective then inserted the two coins. The machine let out a disturbing string of sounds and the luckster hoped that meant that it was working and not broken. Soon after a loud 'plop' could be heard and Kirigiri took the item that had fallen out. The detective sighed audibly while the luckster's eyes widened.

It was a red herring. A literal red herring.

"So do you think this is just to throw us off or is it an actual clue?" Naegi asked.

"It could be both." Kyouko answered. The class and the other parties involved had truly put too much of an effort into making this little game, the detective mused.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to try and see if it works! I'll go check if Grand Bois Cheri would like this." The luckster said and held his hands out so that Kyouko could hand the fish to him. She passed it to the luckster and the two of them headed back to where the feline was.

Surprisingly, the cat was on the ground, lying down and licking its paws. Kirigiri briefly wondered how it got there, considering that Grand Bois Cheri was a rather fat cat. Naegi then placed the red herring down in front of it. As he did, the luckster noticed that there was a roll of paper tied to the ebony feline's collar. Slowly, the luckster crept around the cat and slowly untied the ribbon that ensnared the roll of paper. Once he had obtained it, he approached the detective so they could both see the next clue.

" _Last hint:_

 _Follow the lights and don't be afraid to go for a ride._

 _Also, follow your hearts!"_

The luckster rolled the paper back as soon as they had finished reading it. A short while after, the lampposts near the pair had switched on. Naegi jumped out of shock and grabbed the detective's arm by accident. Apologizing, he detached himself from Kirigiri, but was stopped by a firm grip when he was about to let go of their hands. The luckster looked at the detective for a moment, wondering if that was just an accident or not. He couldn't tell however, since she was turned away from him.

"Let's go." Kyouko said simply and tugged slightly with the hand that held his. He nodded and smiled as they began to follow the path lit by the lampposts.

* * *

As soon as the pair reached the end of the trail, they were met by Yamada, who was standing by the lake of the park. Behind him was a dock and a boat. Naegi's eyes widened in realization, but Kyouko didn't see this because she went a few steps ahead of him and had let go of his hand as soon as she spotted the familiar figure.

"Kirigiri-dono and Naegi-dono. I welcome thee!" He said loudly.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kirigiri asked, straight to the point.

"You will see the meaning of this very, very soon, Kirigiri-dono. But before I can let the both of you through, I require your hearts." The doujinshi author said, much to Naegi's confusion.

"Hearts?" He asked.

"I believe he means this." The detective said and handed Yamada the set of playing cards they had obtained earlier.

"Yes, I did mean that. Thank you… Now please get on the boat."

Naegi immediately followed and settled himself on the boat. Kirigiri, although hesitant, followed his lead.

* * *

After a short, calming ride over the waters that were tinted in shades of lilac and gold due to the sunset, the pair had arrived on very tiny islet in the middle of the lake. The detective held a breath as she looked around. Though the islet was evidently man-made, she was taken aback by the sight. The golden hues of the sun shone on the orchids and lilacs that decorated the land. The view was absolutely stunning. Naegi couldn't help but smile at how the detective reacted. He was glad that she enjoyed the view.

The luckster couldn't believe his friends kept him in the dark from a plan that he had partially thought of! They didn't tell him that they were going to make them solve a mystery first! If they just told him ahead, he would've been more prep—

His thoughts were cut off when someone had tapped him on the shoulder out of the blue. Ikusaba, with a finger raised near her lips, handed him a picnic basket and whispered to him. He nodded then mouthed a 'thank you,' and she held a thumb up in reply before suddenly disappearing from view. The luckster didn't know whether his eyes were too slow to see the soldier's movements or his eyes were just playing tricks on him. Luckily for Naegi, Kirigiri was still drinking in the sight of the meadow to the point where she didn't notice Ikusaba's intrusion.

"Um, Kirigiri-san?" Naegi said suddenly, catching the detective's attention. She turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Are you hungry? Maybe we can get something to eat first… After all we did spend the whole afternoon solving a mystery." The luckster said as he held up the picnic basket.

"Where did you get that?" The detective inquired as she gestured to the basket that Naegi was holding.

"T-that's—" A loud bark had suddenly interrupted the luckster. This caused the pair to turn their attention to the source of the sound, which had come from Mochi-chan… _Wait… what!? How did they get her here!? And is that… a flower garland on her head?_ Naegi pondered. The detective seemed just as shocked, but she quickly approached the husky. The dog licked her hand in response, but quickly moved away, as if beckoning them to follow her.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to arrive at their destination. Mochi-chan had led them to the center of the meadow, which also seemed like a perfect spot for a picnic. The dog looked happy with itself as it sat down and wagged its tail, looking at the two of them. Naegi opened the picnic basket he had and grabbed a large blanket from it, laying it on the ground and placing the basket on top of it. Naegi then sat on the blanket with the detective doing the same. The luckster then emptied the basket and set down the sandwiches, sweets and drinks from the inside of it.

The pair simply ate in comfortable silence as they watched the sun make its slow descent. Sometimes, they even gave Mochi-chan a bite of their food. (Naegi had researched on what dogs could and couldn't eat so that Kirigiri wouldn't get mad at him for feeding something that might kill Mochi-chan.) While Kirigiri had questions that she wanted answers to, just to verify if her deductions were correct, but she decided to ask them later as she was enjoying the food, Naegi's and of course Mochi-chan's company. Naegi and Kirigiri sat side by side, with their shoulders touching. Eventually, Kyouko leaned her head on the luckster's shoulder, which flustered Naegi for a moment, but they both relished the moment.

"Happy Birthday, Kirigiri-san." Naegi had finally spoken up, albeit in a soft tone.

"Today was definitely strange, but enjoyable… Thank you, Naegi-kun, for making this day special." Kyouko said sincerely as she closed her eyes.

"You're welcome, but it wasn't only me who thought of this… Actually, I really didn't expect that they would set a mystery up and all when I asked for help… I-I just wanted to bring you here and show you this really nice place and—"

The luckster stopped himself from continuing as he tried to recollect his thoughts. He didn't want to ruin this moment, not when it was already so perfect. Kirigiri patiently waited for him to speak up, entwining her fingers with his, in a way that silently encouraged him to keep going. Naegi breathed in and out slowly as he looked at the horizon. In that brief moment, he found the strength to tell her the words that had been trapped in his chest for the longest time.

"I wanted to give you this…" He said and handed the same paper bag Kirigiri had seen the other day, and although she already knew the contents of the bag, it didn't stop her heart from beating rapidly. Slowly she took the bag from the luckster and opened it. Inside was an in-vitro rose that was known to be the ultimate love confession.

"I-I know I'm not that amazing and there are a lot of guys that are better than me, but I really like you, Kirigiri-san, a-and even if you don't really reciprocate the feeling, that's okay... I j-just really wanted to tell you that I think you're an amazing person, Kirigiri-san.."

Naegi's voice cracked and stuttered in the middle of his little speech, but he was proud of himself for actually being able to say everything that he felt to the detective. Kyouko lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she did. She squeezed his hand that held his, and with her other hand, she grabbed the fabric of the luckster's jacket and pulled him closer to her. Naegi blushed at their closeness; their foreheads were touching and Kyouko was smiling with a tint of pink dusting her cheeks. She looked absolutely _beautiful_ and all of a sudden, the scenery wasn't so enchanting anymore for she was even more captivating than nature itself.

"I think you're amazing too, Naegi-kun… and I really like you too." She said rather bashfully, but tried her best to keep eye contact. Slowly, she pulled him even closer, taking in his scent that reminded her slightly of blueberries, and kissed him tenderly.

Their lips remained locked to what seemed like forever, but when they had parted, a feeling of absolute happiness and love swelled from their chests. Their foreheads remained rested on each other as they looked into each other's eyes.

"I guess my wish came true after all.." Kyouko had said softly.

"Your wish?"

"I… wished for strength to be able to tell you how I felt." She said, feeling the heat on her cheeks rise once again.

"That makes the two of us." Naegi replied, completely at bliss. Smiling, he moved his face closer to the detective's, about to kiss her once more until a loud bark had interrupted. Surprised, the two pulled back and saw Mochi-chan beside them, sitting down eagerly as if she wanted to join them.

"I guess you felt left out, huh?" Naegi asked the dog as he ruffled her fur. Both of them looked very happy and content. Kyouko giggled slightly when she saw how adorably similar their expressions were.

The detective couldn't have asked for a better birthday celebration.

* * *

AN: So thank you guys for reading! I really appreciate your feedback (and im really sorry for taking so long my finals nearly killed me but im still okay xD) and because of that, enjoy the little bonus tidbit found in the next chapter of this story. :)


	4. Chapter 4- Bonus Content :)

"That is one long lens, Koizumi-san.." Souda piped up as he saw the Super High School Level Photographer holding up her camera.

"That's what she said!" Hanamura said, nose slightly bleeding at his own dirty joke. Mahiru rolled her eyes at that.

"What are you taking a picture of anyway?" Hinata asked the photographer.

"Enoshima-san asked me to take a picture of them…" She said as she pointed forward with her index finger, leaving Souda and Hanamura confused as they didn't know what she was referring to. However, Nanami and Hinata quickly understood what Koizumi had meant by 'them.' The photographer paused, then put down her arm as she continued talking. "She said she'd give me something nice in return… But I don't care about that, they're just so cute together! It's a perfect opportunity to get more genuine and candid photos. "

"Mouu…" The gamer muttered, pouting. "I didn't think my kouhai would be able to get a good ending ahead of me!" She said, slightly frustrated but happy for them at the same time.

"What do you mean by that?" The reserve course student asked Nanami.

"N-nothing!"

* * *

Also, I have this little deleted scene thingo that supposedly occurs in chapter one, but I removed it due to it being too long and uh.. chaotic, and if you guys wanna see that chaos too, just PM/ask me for the link in the reviews/PM inbox/comment section and I'll be glad to show you how I write when on too much caffeine late at night. xD


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